Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
It was never a matter of if — it was always when.
The Minnesota Vikings made Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL on Monday, resetting the wide receiver market and besting San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa with a four-year, $140 million contract that includes $110 million guaranteed. It averages out to $35 million per year for the 24-year-old.
Jefferson becomes the eighth wide receiver to receive a contract with a $23M annual average per year in this offseason alone.
Even amid reported trade inquiries and offers, Minnesota remained steadfast in its desire to retain and reward Jefferson.
“From the moment I arrived in Minnesota, Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field and we are excited about having him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time to come,” said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in a statement.
Jefferson has now catapulted to the face of the Vikings franchise, one of the only non-quarterbacks in the league to hold that indefinable title. It’s even reminiscent of another wide receiver to wear the purple and gold — Randy Moss. Somehow, the Vikings have become synonymous with generational pass-catchers.
If that sounds like a tall order for Jefferson to live up to, let me assure you it isn’t. If we’re going by the first four years of Jefferson’s career, he already has three All-Pro nods, three Pro Bowl selections and led all receivers in yards on the way to his 2022 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Though Jefferson started just nine games for the Vikings in 2023 due to injury, he still surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and averaged 107.4 yards per game, one more yard than his 2022 average.
It puts Jefferson on a trajectory that doesn’t just rival Moss’ numbers, but surpasses them. Jefferson has amassed 5,899 yards in his first four seasons in Minnesota. He accomplished it in 57…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/justin-jefferson-reset-wr-market-might-just-reset-record-books
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Publish date : 2024-06-03 20:53:42
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